By: Jack Kale, Pastor Central Pensacola Beach
Ding. The elevator opened and I stepped inside. After an irritatingly long time, the doors finally shut. A few seconds later, and I was on the third floor of the Hampton Inn in Henderson, NV. A couple hours later, and I was standing in front of those same stainless steel doors waiting to get back to the ground floor. Up and down. That’s all elevators do. It’s the only two places they go: up and down. At times in my life, I’ve felt like an elevator with all my ups and downs.
Have you ever been stuck like a proverbial yo-yo? Have you been feeling better and then feeling worse without moving forward? It can feel like an unending amusement park ride — up and down, but not getting anywhere. Depression, addiction, marriage issues, and financial problems can manhandle us into a cycle that seems to have no end. It can be scary, frustrating, and monotonous.
One of my favorite biblical stories is about someone who was stuck. Lazarus was Jesus’ friend but died anyway. His sisters desperately pleaded with Jesus to do something. After processing his pain, Jesus ordered the disciples to move the stone that covered the entrance. Then He called out to Lazarus by name to “come forth.” Lazarus came out of the tomb, still wrapped up with his old burial clothes. Jesus then instructed the bystanders to “unbind him and let him go” (John 11).
This story reveals the miraculous power of Jesus’ words as they brought life to a stuck situation. Poor Lazarus was stuck with no hope outside of Jesus. The world had done all it could. He was trapped in the dark, behind a stone he couldn’t move. It took the prayers of family, the hard work of the disciples, and a word from Jesus to get Lazarus moving in the right direction.
A few years ago, my son got trapped in an elevator. He was inside, and it wasn’t moving. The chances were small, like 1 in 100,000 or so. Even so, he actually got stuck again in the same elevator. He can laugh about it now, but it was frightening, to be sure. Likewise, folks who are stuck in life can be pretty scared, too. The chances are much higher that we get stuck in one of life’s problems, even if it is one of our own making.
Let us be on the lookout for people who are stuck. When we find them, give them some encouragement that this is not the end. Wait with them. Move a stone for them. Go to Jesus on their behalf. Soon enough, they might be able to take that step forward with the rest of their life.